RULES AND CONSTITUTION

CONSTITUTION

This constitution will supersede all former rules and constitutions.

NAME OF THE CLUB

The club shall be called “The Loreburn Bridge Club”.

PREMISES

The club premises shall be at such address as may be determined by the members at any meeting duly constituted for the purpose of determining the address or at an AGM.

PURPOSES OF THE CLUB

The activity of the club shall be to play bridge.

FINANCIAL YEAR

The financial year shall be from 1 April to 31 March.

MEMBERSHIP

1) Membership of the Club is open to all regardless of a person's protected characteristics as defined in the Equalities Act 2010.  The membership shall consist of honorary and ordinary members.

2) The club shall consist of all members of the above categories at the date of the adoption of this constitution.

3) Honorary members shall be appointed by the club at an AGM or other meeting specially constituted for the purpose of appointing honorary members. They shall be persons who have rendered special service to the club or to Scottish Bridge.

4) Ordinary members shall be persons appointed by a sub committee comprising the honorary president and/or honorary vice president, the honorary secretary and/or honorary treasurer and three members of the committee on application by the person concerned on the approved membership application form. Only ordinary members shall have a stake in the balance of properties of the club and shall be allowed to vote on any motion for a club meeting.

5) A membership application form duly completed with the name of the proposed member, with full address and proposed and seconded by two ordinary members, shall be put on the notice board. Not less than two weeks shall elapse between the nomination and the appointment of members. The appointment is subject to the new member satisfying the condition stipulated at paragraph 6 below.

6) When the sub-committee have appointed a proposed new member, the person concerned may be asked to play three times. If the standard of play is acceptable he or she will continue to be a member of the club.

7) The sub-committee shall have power to refuse membership without giving any reason for so doing.

8) If the committee considers that a member’s conduct does not appear to be in keeping with the character or interest of the club, or if any member acts in defiance of the club’s constitution, the committee shall have the power to suspend such a member, provided that the person has been allowed to put forward his or her case at a committee meeting. An extract from the minutes of the committee meeting suspending the member shall be copied, giving the reason for suspension, and sent by recorded delivery to the person concerned. Suspension may be for a period of up to one year or up to the next

OFFICE  BEARERS

1) An honorary president, one or two honorary vice-presidents, an honorary secretary and an honorary treasurer, shall be elected for the club year (being from one AGM to the next) at a general meeting of the club and each shall be eligible for re-election. Any office bearer may hold joint office. Election shall be by vote of the members present.

2) Trustees of the Club are the Honorary President, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer.  They will be signatories on all documents concerning the acquisition, disposal or significant maintenance to a value of £1000.

MANAGEMENT

1) The management of the affairs of the club shall be vested in the committee.

2) The committee shall consist of the honorary president, the immediate past president, the honorary vice-presidents, the honorary secretary, the honorary treasurer, and nine ordinary members of the club.

3) Five members of the committee shall form a quorum.

4) Ordinary members of the committee shall be elected by a ballot at the AGM from the ordinary members for a maximum period of three years.

5) Ordinary members of the committee shall not be eligible for re-election until the expiry of one year from their previous term of office.

6) The committee shall have power to co-opt members to fill vacancies in its number in the course of the year and to co-opt additional members to carry out any special duty requiring to be undertaken. Such co-opted members shall be eligible for election to the committee at the following AGM.

7) The committee shall meet whenever decided by the honorary president. It shall meet at least quarterly.

8) The honorary president shall preside at all committee meetings whom failing an honorary vice-president whom failing the members present shall appoint a chairman to preside.

9) The chairman at a committee meeting shall have a casting vote only.

10) The committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees to assist in running the club. The sub-committees shall be responsible to the committee and shall report to it at each meeting.

11) The honorary secretary shall:-

a) Keep full minutes of all the committee meetings, AGMs and EGMs of the club;

b) Be responsible for keeping all club records;

The honorary secretary may delegate any of these functions to other suitable people.

12) The honorary treasurer shall:-

a) Keep current accounts and books showing the financial state of the club and a record of all financial transactions of the club;

b) Be responsible to the committee for all financial matters;

c) Present a financial statement at each ordinary meeting of the committee;

d) Present to the committee an end of financial year independently verified statement of accounts and balance sheet ready for presentation at the club’s AGM.

13) The committee shall have power to make regulations, procedures, policies and protocols for the proper conduct of the club. These shall be binding on every member of the club until rescinded or altered by the committee or by a general meeting of the club.

14) No proposal which has been voted on by he committee shall again be brought before the committee for a period of six months unless at the express wish of two thirds of the members present.

15) Voting at committee meetings shall be by majority and a show of hands unless the chairman decides in his or her sole discretion that voting shall be by a written ballot.

16) The committee shall appoint any delegate to other bodies to which the club is entitled to send representatives.

MEETINGS OF THE CLUB

1) The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club shall be held during the month of

May each year, with ordinary members being given 10 clear days written notice of the meeting.

2) The committee shall have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on giving ten clear days written notice to ordinary members.

3) The committee shall be bound to call an EGM on receiving a requisition signed by at least fifteen ordinary members. Any such requisition shall state the object of such meeting.

4) If the committee fail to call such a meeting as requested, the ordinary members who signed the requisition may themselves convene an EGM, and any resolutions passed at the EGM shall be binding upon all members.

5) At all AGMs and EGMs twenty members shall form a quorum.

6) Voting at AGMs and EGMs will be by majority and a show of hands unless the chairman in his or her sole discretion determines that voting shall be by a written ballot.

7) At AGMs and EGMs, the chairman shall only have a casting vote.

8) At all AGMs or EGMs, the honorary president will preside, whom failing the honorary vice-president will preside, whom failing the meeting shall elect a Chairman from those present.

9) At the AGM of the club, a qualified independently verified will be appointed to provide an audited statement of account and balance sheet for the coming year.

SUBSCRIPTION AND TABLE MONEY

1) The annual subscription for the financial year shall be fixed at the AGM each year and shall be intimated by notice on the club notice board.

2) Subscriptions are due to be paid no later than 30th June in any year. The committee, if satisfied that there was a reasonable excuse for non payment by 30th June, may allow late payment.

3) A member will cease to be a member, and will cease to be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the club, if his or her subscription is, and remains, unpaid on the date of any such meeting.

4) Honorary members are exempt from the payment of Annual Subscriptions.

PROPERTY

The property, effects and monies of the club shall belong to the ordinary members during membership equally but the right and interest of every member shall be personal and limited to Himself or herself and shall not be assignable or arrestable or passed to heirs or executors.

The property effects and monies shall be vested in the office bearers and committee and their successors in office.

INSURANCE

The committee shall keep the premises of the club insured with a reputable insurance company, against all normal risks including, without prejudice to the foregoing generality, third party liability. The honorary treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring that all premiums on insurances are paid timeously.

LIABILITY

Ordinary members of the club shall be responsible for the debts of the club equally between them, except where debts or liabilities have been incurred by any members of the committee acting dishonestly, or with gross recklessness, in which case, the committee member(s) so acting will be liable personally to reimburse ordinary members for any losses which they may sustain through such actions.

RESIGNATIONS

All resignations must be in writing and sent to the honorary secretary

DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB

The club may at any time be dissolved by a vote of no less than two thirds of the members present at any AGM or EGM called for that purpose. If, in the event of the winding up or dissolution of the club, there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid or distributed among members of the club, but shall be given or transferred to some other organisation having purposes or objects similar to those of the club. Such organisation or organisations shall be determined by the members of the club by resolution passed at an AGM at or before the time of dissolution and if and as far as effect cannot be given to such a provision, then to an organisation or similar having a charitable object.

VISITORS

Visitors shall be charged a higher rate of table money as decided at the AGM.

ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

No alteration to the foregoing constitution shall be made, except at the AGM or EGM called for that purpose, and the notice calling such meeting shall state in full the alterations proposed to be made, but no such alteration may take effect unless it is carried by no less than two thirds of those present voting in favour. Voting shall be by a show of hands, unless the chairman at his or her sole discretion considers that voting shall be by written ballot. Notice of any proposed alteration to the constitution must be made in writing to the honorary secretary at least 28 days before the date of the AGM or EGM.

Amended 24 May 2016, 23 May 2017